The Fascinating History of the Dildo

Some folks speculate that the word "dildo" comes from the Italian word "diletto," or "delight." Buy yourself a dil, and you're taking part in a delightful tradition that spans almost every culture, and that's been documented back more than thirty thousand years: images of dildos have been found in Upper Paleolithic art! They show up in several Greek vase paintings of the 5th and 4th century BC, and were donned by Greek actors in classical stage comedies.

In the Hellenistic Age, if you had wanted a dildo of padded leather or wood, it probably would have come from the coastal city of Miletus in Asia Minor, which was at that time the world's "olisbos" (that's "dildo" to you!) manufacturing and export hub. A Medieval novel mentions "Cantonese Groin:" a plant that, with a mere soaking in hot water, swelled and hardened to make a fine dil. The Kama Sutra refers to dildos made of wood and tubular stalks or reeds tied to the waist, while a 19th century Chinese painting features a woman enjoying a dildo that's attached to her shoe.

Not everyone had time to soak a Cantonese Groin. Besides the "pret a porter" leather, there've been "ready to wear" dildos of almost any material that could strike anyone's fancy; carved from rare woods, ivory, jade and onyx, even cast in gold or other precious metals. These days, most dildos are made of various polymers, and the best are made from high-quality silicone.